Entwined Powers
by Too Removed am I
Summary: Voldemort is dead but not all of his power is. Ginny has something the Deatheaters want and it will fall to Draco to get it. Rated for violence and nastys in later chapters. UpdatedContains Spoilers
1. Animicaptus Breath of power

The sounds came back first. Slowly. They were muffled but soon they turned into voices. Deep sinister voices. The feeling returned next. Slowly. It took the form of a dull ache throughout her body but soon intense pain took its place. A quick intake of breath as the pain washed over her alerted them that she was waking. The voices fell silent.

Slowly the pain drained away and she opened her eyes. Death Eaters. She looked at them, her mind numb. Death Eaters? Why were there Death Eaters? What had happened?

Slowly it came back. Someone had been in her flat when she got home from work. More than one, for as she addressed the first with her wand, someone hit her with a curse from behind.

"She is awake," said one of the Death Eaters to the others, "We will take it now and be done." He came and looked at her with his steely, grey eyes. "Expecto Animicaptus Abduco" he said as he tapped her chest with his wand. As he pulled the wand away, a mist seemed to stick to the end of the wand. As he continued to pull the mist from her chest, she tried to catch her breath. She felt as if she was being pulled out of herself and into the mist. Finally the Death Eater ended his pull with a twist and set the mist to spin upon her chest.

She looked in awe at what she saw. Drifting above her chest was a misty version of herself clasped in the arms of a young man.

There was a gasp from one of the Death Eaters and low muttering from some others. They grey eyed one glanced around and they fell silent. "Aloh Animicaptus Voldemort," he touched the young mans mist then tried to pull it to his chest, "Animicaptus Acio"

The mists leaned in his direction but then snapped back and the lines between the two blurred even more.

"Animicaptus Acio" the Death Eater commanded repeating the wand movements. This time the mist formed into one figure and snapped back into her chest. She gasped.

Again there was a low muttering from the room. Grey eyes shot around the room.

"We will begin again, "he said tapping her chest then saying the incantation. This time when the mist was pulled forth it had merged into one form. "Now you will say 'Aloh Animicaptus Voldemort" he ordered her.

She was afraid. Afraid of what would happen if she didn't but more afraid what would happen if she did. Finally, she got her fist around her fear. She looked at him through the mist and voiced her answer in a defiant voice, "No."

Again the mist snapped back into her, this time leaving her dizzy.

The Death Eater yelled in frustration and struck her across the face. She saw him raise his arm again and be stopped by another.

"There's another way," the other said as she slipped back into nothingness.


	2. Entwined

Draco watched as his father turned to the other man, his grey eyes flashing in anger. "You said it would work without her having to participate,"

"I told you, if the powers are entwined then she must release it before you can take it," the other man calmly stated still looking at the girl. "She hasn't been aware that it was even there. She may be now though. You'll have to break her spirit and extract his power before she realizes that she can use it."

Lucius stared at the other man.

Draco had seen his fathers composed rage often enough to know that the man, whom his father had spent a considerable amount of time and money to get released from Azkaban, had better watch his step.

"Me? Why not you? "Lucius said.

"I am far from imposing," the man stated dryly. It was true. The man was very short and slightly built. "Besides I cannot extract it. A blood relation can easily, but since we are lacking one of those; the wizard who is responsible for it being there is the next best thing. You happen to be that wizard."

Lucius' anger deflated. He was keenly aware of whose fault it was that the power, the power of the heir of Slytherin, resided in a nineteen-year-old Gryffindor girl. The Dark Lord had been very displeased when he found out who had been the host of his sixteen-year-old self. He had punished him for putting his revenge against Weasley before the Heirs interests. Voldemort never imagined that the power had survived the destruction of the diary. The man seized on this, "Why you didn't give it to someone friendly to our cause is beyond me,"

Draco saw an amazing thing happened, his father slouched in defeat. "Draco, take her to the manor his father told him his voice flat.

Motioning Crabb and Goyle to follow him, Draco picked up the limp girl. With a crack he was in the sitting room of the manner.

His mother looked up from her book. "Oh hello, Draco dear," her voice seemed to come from far away. She didn't even seem to notice the girl in his arms. "The house elves don't seem to be listening to me. I asked Dobby for some tea but he's been ignoring me," she indicated a lamp beside her.

"Mother, the house elves are gone," he began to explain just as Crabb and Goyle crashed out of the fireplace.

"Oh, good, company," she crooned, "Dobby bring our guest some tea."

Draco headed out of the room followed by Crabb and Goyle but stopped in the hall and sighed. His mother had begun raging at the lamp. In a moment she would send it crashing to the floor. "Here, take her to the dungeon. I've got to attend to mother," he handed Ginny's limp form to Goyle and returned to the sitting room.

When he had calmed his mother and fixed her some tea, he went down to the dungeon. Before he reached the door, he could hear that Ginny was awake. He left his wand on the stand beside the door. Stepping inside he ducked a pair of shackles that smashed into the wall.

"Malfoy you slimy son of a bitch. What the hell is going on," she yelled. Her robe was tore and her shoulder was bare.

He looked accusingly at Crabb and Goyle and was reminded that the little Weasley was quite capable of defending herself. Crabb had long scratches across his cheek and the huge welt rising on his forehead looked suspiciously like a manacle. Goyle was in as bad of shape. His nose resembled a red-hot pepper and his eyes were watering uncontrollably. "What'd she do? Get a hold of your wand Goyle?" he asked choosing to ignore the girl for now.

"Nob, ib on da tand outdide" Goyle said holding his nose as pepper juice began to ooze down his face and burn his skin pink.

He considered this for a moment then looked at the girl on the other side of the room. Another set of shackles hung from one of her wrists and she swung it threateningly. Her face was red with anger. Did she realize she'd cursed Goyle without a wand? The idiot's, they shouldn't have provoked her. He turned to Crabb and Goyle, "Out! Now!"

When they had gone, he turned back to the seething girl. "Here let me take that off of you," he said kindly, a plan forming in his mind. She looked at him suspiciously then held out her arm for him. He advanced and took her hand gently and pressed three indentations on the manacle one after another. There was a soft click and it fell from her wrist. "Those buffoons should have never put this on you," he stated still holding her hand and looking into her face.

She looked confused for a moment, then angry and pulled her hand away. "What the hell is going on? Where am I? What was that all about with the Death Eaters?" she asked her voice raising more with every word.

He chose to answer the second question, "You are in the dungeon of Malfoy Manner."

She laughed un-mirthfully, "Your Manor has a dungeon? It figures. But why am I here?"

"My father wants you to say part of an incantation,"

Ginny considered this for a moment remembering the grey eyes through the mist. "What was that? What was he doing to me? What was that mist?"

"I can't answer that," he stated.

She regarded him for a moment. "Can't, or won't?"

He looked at her but did not answer.

"I see," she sighed, "You keep your mouth shut and so will I." She went to the cot, sat and studied the wall.

He stood looking at her for a long while. The redness of anger had gone out of her face replaced by the whiteness of fear that contrasted with the redness of her hair. "If you say the incantation, he'll let you go."

She looked at him, with her eyes narrow. "You really think so? I do what he wants and he just lets me walk out of here? So I can go tell the Order that the Death Eaters are active again and your father is _defiantly_ not fulfilling the conditions of his release?"She stared at him for a moment then lay down on the cot with her back to him.

Ginny was right and he knew it. His stomach lurched with the thought and that confused him. Why would he care if his father killed her? She was not the first and probably not the last, so why would it matter? He quietly left the cell, locking the door with his finger touch.


	3. Plan and Potion

Authors Note: Sorry the chapters are so short. With three kids I rarely get more than a few sentences written before being interrupted. If I want to update anymore often than every few weeks, they have to be short.

I've added to this chapter. I couldn't go to sleep last night so I got up and wrote. I was considering whether to make it a new chapter, but it fits nicely in this one.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I only take them out to play.

Draco was still mulling over his confused feelings when he met his father on the stairs to the dungeon.

"There you are," Lucius said snapping Draco out of his thoughts. "You've attended to the girl? She's in a cell?"

Draco nodded.

"Did your mother see her?"

"She was in the sitting room when I arrived but didn't seem to notice her. She was yelling at the lamp again."

Lucius sighed heavily looking up through the floor in the direction of the sitting room. "I suppose we'll need to get some help with her before too long, but we'll need to deal with this situation before we bring anyone into this house. Can't have a stranger finding a prisoner in our dungeons, now can we?"

Draco didn't answer. His father didn't expect one.

"I have a plan on how to do this, if you'll hear it, Father,"

"A plan on how to break her?" Lucius chuckled, "All we need is a little well placed torture. Perhaps an application of an unforgivable curse might do the trick,"

"Ginny Weasley is very stubborn and dead set against doing anything to help our cause," Draco began, unintentionally using the same phrase the small man had used earlier.

The Cause. It was all Lucius thought about in Azkaban. After Voldemort was gone and the Death Eaters dead or captured the world believed that the Cause was dead. Because the Cause was dead, the broken man, who had spent several years in Azkaban was no longer a threat. That is what the world believed. But the man was not broken and he had not lost faith in the Cause. And when this was done, the Dark Lord would be back, at least in spirit, and the Cause would continue.

"I know how to get her to give it to us willingly," Draco finished failing to notice his father's distraction. That got his fathers attention.

"Let us go to my study," Lucius turned and walked back up the stairs. The silly boy. His mother had sheltered him. While he was in Azkaban, Narsissa had tried to keep Draco from getting involved in the cause. She even had sent him away, but after a visit from her sister, Narsissa had relented and the boy took his place with the Death Eaters. His performance on his first assignment for the Dark Lord had been a failure. He was unable to finish the job and Snape had been forced to finish it. It was only Snapes pleading to the Dark Lord for mercy that had saved the boys life. What kind of a plan could the idiot boy have? Still, if the power was damaged or destroyed in their efforts to extract it, then their efforts would be for not, and the power could be lost forever. They entered the study and he sat down to listen.

The next morning, while Draco was eating breakfast, Lucius entered slightly dishevelled, his nose slightly pink. He smelled of hot peppers.

"Make a healing potion, add an extra measure of blue root and take it down to the dungeon." Lucius ordered then stocked out of the room without any further comment.

Draco left his breakfast and hurried to do as he was told.

Carefully entering the cell, Draco was disquieted at what he saw. Ginny was laying on the cot listlessly, her face swollen and discoloured. Her robe was torn even more and she was holding it limply in her hand to cover herself. There was a large abrasion on her shoulder that slowly dribbled dark red blood into her dark red hair. She didn't move when he entered and he feared his father had gone too far.

He dropped to his knee before her. She blinked and looked at him. Anger burned in her eyes along with pain.

"What has he done?" Draco asked.

"What does it look like he's done, Malfoy?"she answered thickly. Blood tinged her lips as she spoke.

"Here, sit up and drink this," Draco said offering her the potion in his hand.

She considered the potion as she would poison.

"It's a healing potion, not poison. It'll make you feel better," he assured.

"Why would you care?"

"Care?" Draco sneered, standing, "I don't. Take it or don't."

She sighed and tried to sit up. She cried out and lay back down breathing fast. Her hand let go of her robe and it fell away exposing her breast. She didn't seem to notice. Tears squeezed out of the corners of her closed eyes. Finally her breathing slowed and she opened her eyes.

Draco tore his eyes away from the perfect pink eye that stared at him and carefully replaced the scrap of cloth. "I promise you'll feel better," Draco softly said. "Here let me help you," He gently helped her sit up and she drank the potion.

The pain was intense at first, her eyes clouded red, but slowly the pain ebbed to a dull ache except the sharp cracks as her ribs repaired themselves. Finally only the ache remained. She realized then that her robe had slipped again. She covered herself and glared as Draco again tore his eyes away.

He got up and walked to the door and returned with his wand. She bristled at the sight. "To fix your cloths," he told her and she relaxed slightly."Vestis Repairo" Her robe repaired its self.

Ginny looked at him wondering what he was up to. She suddenly became very tired and yawned.

"It's the potion," he said, "it will make you sleep and heal the rest of the way." He helped her lay back onto the cot.

As her eyelids got heavy, she watched as Draco walked toward the door. "Thank you," softly escaped her lips as her eyes closed.

He turned at the sound and watched her drift into sleep.

_Lucius brushed his knuckles lightly across her cheek and she opened her eyes. He gently kissed her. She did not fight him. He pulled her onto his lap, holding her in his arms. A strong hand tenderly caressed her breast as he took her mouth again. Without thinking she moaned in pleasure. There was no thought, no mind, just body. He removed her robe and worshipped her body with his lips. Slowly he explored the usually hidden portions of her flesh. She writhed in pleasure and anticipation, her breath coming in gasps . . ._

Ginny suddenly sat up on the cot and looked around. She was alone. Where she was quickly flooded back to her. "A dream?" Ginny asked herself aloud. "Why would I dream like that about Malfoy?". She shook her head as if trying to shake loose the horrid thought. It clung like the bad taste in her mouth.

She stood but felt her legs shake beneath her and she sat back down. The beating that morning had been horrible. He'd ordered her again to say the incantation. When she refused, he'd thrown her against the wall. It got worse from there.

Was it the father's brutality and the son's uncharacteristic kindness that had given her such a bizarre dream? She shook her head once again. Perhaps it was a side effect of the potion.

She'd caught the words of the incantation this time, though she still couldn't determine what the spell was suppose to do. 'Aloh Animicaptus Voldemort' was what he'd wanted her to say. Obviously it had something to do with He-Must-Not-Be-Named. That was enough for her to know it couldn't be good. Ginny wished now that she'd payed closer attention in class when Professor Flitwick had taught them the language of new spells. It had seemed so useless then. She never planned to work in spell research, curse breaking or become a medi-witch. She had never felt the need to spend too much time learning Latin, Greek, Aramaic or any of the other dozen and a half languages that spellword roots came from. She wished she could remember the other parts of the incantation. They might help her understand the context of the spell, but Malfoy had not repeated them that morning and the night before was a fog.

"Fog." Ginny said to herself thoughtfully, "I wonder what that mist was."

As she pondered, she heard the lock click open and Draco slid into the room with a tray of food. He turned and stopped when he saw her awake. Reaching back he touched the door with his fingertips and the lock clicked back into place.

"You're awake," he said obviously. She gave him an icy stare. "Are you hungry?"

She wanted to disclaim her hunger, to not give in and be stubborn but her traitorous stomach gave a great roar at the sight of the roast beef sandwich.

Draco smiled. "I thought as much," he said bringing her the tray.

Ginny ate, ignoring Draco. He stood watching her, an odd grin upon his face.

When Ginny had finished eating and had drunk the butterbeer she looked up at him. "What do you want from me Malfoy?"

"You know what I want. I want you to give my father what he wants," Draco drawled looking seriously at her.

"I won't do it. I won't do anything to help a Death Eater." Ginny stood and faced the young man, looking him in the eye.

"Weasley, be reasonable. Do you really want to die? That's what will happen if you don't."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Didn't we already go over this?" she asked, "He's going to kill me even if I cooperate. Besides I don't even know what he really wants from me."

"You know what he wants." It was Draco's turn to roll his eyes. "The incantation."

"It's more than that. What does the spell do? And why me? What does it have to do with me?"

Draco was silent.

Ginny turned from him thinking. She went a few paces then turned quickly. "Voldemort!" she hissed. Draco visibly cringed at the name. "You're trying to bring him back aren't you?"

Again Draco was silent, his face not giving anything away. His silence said enough.

"You're trying to bring him back," she laughed in realization. "But it won't work. Harry made sure he was destroyed for good. There's nothing to bring back."

Draco sighed and shook his head turning toward the door, "You're mistaken Weasley,"

Ginny watched the door close behind him.

Did he mean mistaken about their plan or about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?


	4. The Masters Wand

Disclaimer: I only wish I were J.K. Rowling. Alas, I'm not, she owns it all.

A/N: I know this is a very short chapter, but my girls birthdays are this week. Unfortunately that means three parties and no time to write. I had this ready so I thought I'd at least give you good readers what I had.

"I'm telling you again, Malfoy, it won't work," the small man was saying to Lucius when Draco entered the sitting room. "You could destroy it by using the Cruciatus curse and the Imperius just won't work. It must be of her own will to release it. That is why I told you her spirit, her will, had to be broken."

Draco sat and watched the man vocally spar with his father. The man did not conduct himself as a man of his stature. It must be a family trait, Draco thought, as his brother was a large presence in the classroom, so was this Alvin Flitwick.

"It's been tried?" Lucius demanded, not wanting to give up. He was impatient and wanted the whole business done. Narsissa was getting worse. There was a specialist in Iceland who might be able to do her some good, but this needed wrapped up before he went.

"Yes of course. What in the hell did you think I was in Azkaban for? Playing gobstones? Why do you think they made me use the spell on myself?"

"Yes, yes, I know all that. Muggles are known to castrate criminals who commit certain transgressions, what the Ministry did to you was similar." Malfoy took great pleasure in calling the man a squib and likening him to a eunuch.

Flitwick looked at Lucius cooly. Draco had the distinct feeling that Flitwick was considering what hex he would use if in fact he could. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment then Flitwick pulled a wand from his pocket. Lucius visibly flinched but recovered quickly. "I brought this for you. It may help,"

Lucius looked at the wand and his eyes got large and he was visibly shaken. "Is that?" he started.

Draco sat up and looked intently at the wand.

"Yes," Flitwick chortled, "Thirteen and a half inches, yew with a phoenix feather. This is the wand that put the Dark Lords power in the diary in the first place. His power should remember. But even so, her will must be weak."

Lucius took the wand and held it, a strange look on his face. "I thought Potter turned it over to the Ministry."

"Yes, but we still have friends within,"

Lucius caressed the wand and absently said, "Yes, of course."

Flitwick looked hard at Lucius then looked at Draco. "I shall be going now,"

Draco stood and showed the man to the door.

When Draco returned to the sitting room, his father was sitting in an arm chair, still caressing the wand. He looked up when Draco entered.

"The Master's wand," Lucius uttered his voice far away, "Do you know what I can do with this? With his power and his wand . . . I could be unstoppable."


	5. King takes Queen

"Will you be home this evening, Dear?" Narsissa asked over dessert that evening. She seemed more herself this evening. She had even helped Draco prepare dinner, laughing and talking the whole time.

"No, I have things to attend to," Lucius answered looking meaningfully at Draco.

"Oh, all right, then it will be Draco and I alone tonight then." She said trying not to pout.

"When I finish with this last matter, you and I will be taking a trip to Iceland, my dear, just the two of us." Lucius said, his voice like velvet. He kissed her hand and she giggled like a school girl.

"I will need that potion again tonight," Lucius said turning his attention to his son.

"Yes, father," Draco answered, "We're almost out of valerian though. I should go out and get some before the apothecary closes,"

"Oh no Draco, I thought we would play chess this evening," Narsissa whined.

Lucius nodded, "Use what we have, I'll pick up more tomorrow. Now I must be off." He rose to his feet, picked up his cane, kissed his wife and exited through the sitting room.

While Draco was enchanting the dishrag to wash the dishes, his mother sat up the chess board and chattered away to herself. Draco tuned her out until she mentioned the Weasley's. "I don't know how Molly Weasley would even notice if one of her children were missing, doesn't she have a dozen?"

"Seven, I think," Draco answered, "Why do you mention them?"

"I was saying that there was a story in the Daily Prophet today, one of them is missing," Narsissa said examining one of the black knights. The horse threw its head about trying to escape her scrutiny. "The youngest, the girl. They say someone broke into her flat. No one's seen her since she left work yesterday."

"Really?" Draco said in what he hoped sounded offhanded.

Narsissa put the knight down on the board and picked up the white queen. " You know her don't you Draco?"

He was never able to lie to his mother. He kept his back to her and put away the dishes as the flew out of the rinse water. "I knew her and a couple of her brothers at school. Her brother Ron is best pals with Potter."

Narsissa picked up the black king in her other hand and studied both of the pieces. They motioned threateningly at each other, the queen made a rude gesture. "The article said it may have had something to do with the house elves, that she helped that Mudblood with her push for elf rights,"

"More than likely. I know there are more families than ours that the elves wouldn't stay when they were emancipated,"

"I wouldn't pay a house elf, even if they would work for us!" She sat the queen down and picked up a white pawn. "Dirty filthy things."

Draco had pulled out the potion ingredients and started the fire under the caldron. He was happy to change subjects even if it was a subject that made his mother angry. He added the ingredients by memory, half listening to his mother ramble on about the folly of ever employing house elves. "Should have stuck with muggle servants, all they're good for anyway," he heard her say as she set the pawn back down.

Draco tipped the valerian bottle upend over the caldron and worried about the effects of the potion without enough of the main calming agent.

"If I ever get my hands on that Granger girl, she might just disappear too,"The white bishop garnered her attention now. "But Granger's a mudblood. Weasley, despite all of her bad qualities, is a pureblood, and it's a shame to see ill befall a pureblood."Narsissa had sat the white queen and black knight too close together and now were struggling their way across the board. She picked them up and looked at them for a moment. Then she looked intently at her sons back, "I hope you didn't have anything to do with it."

Ginny heard the lock click and looked expectantly at the door. She had been wishing for hours that she'd saved some of the roast beef sandwich. Her stomach was eating a hole through her backbone and even Draco's company was better than being locked away all alone. The door swung open to reveal not the younger, but the older Malfoy.

Lucius strolled into the cell without even looking at Ginny. He refused to be hesitant towards her even if she had used latent magic against him that morning. The pepper nose hex hadn't been especially powerful but it was rather advanced magic to do without a wand. He'd have to be careful. She couldn't be allowed to realize she had access to the Dark Lords powers.

She stood and faced him. "You can turn your arse around," She challenged him, "I'm not going to help you. I'm not going to say the incantation. I'll not have anything to do with bringing Voldemort back. You're a fool, Malfoy. He's gone. Voldemort has been destroyed for good. He's not coming b. . ."

Malfoy stopped her tirade by hitting her in the stomach with his cane. She gasped and hit her knees. Trying to catch her breath she looked up at him as he swung the cane again hitting her across the shoulders. She fell forward onto the floor and tried to shield her head as he made contact with her ribs and shoulders. Sharp stabbing pain followed the sharp snap as her newly healed ribs broke again. She cried out again and tried to fight back as the assault continued but he laughed and pulled her by her leg into the center of the room. A shock went through his hand where he touched her skin. He was glad to let go.

Finally, panting, Lucius ended the assault and sat down on the cot. He looked at her. Not once did she ask or beg for him to stop hurting her. Not once did she give in or stop fighting. Perhaps Draco was right, or maybe she was just as stupid.

Lucius walked back through the kitchen. Narsissa and Draco were just finishing their game.

"Done already, Dear?" Narsissa cooed taking Draco's queen in a sacrifice play.

"Yes, I've finished what I needed to get done for tonight, I'm tired I'm going to bed,"

Narsissa watched her son make his move. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't be ruthless against her. She put his king into checkmate with her rook. "I'm coming too," she called after her husband.

Draco looked at the board and then his mother. Even in her addled state, she could still move the pieces and put him where she wanted. He picked up his queen from the side of the board. His mothers knight had chipped his queens ivory veneer.

When Draco heard the bedroom door close he got up, picked up the potion and headed for the dungeon.

_Ginny opened her eyes. Lucius stood before her, his shirt off. He knelt down and kissed her, his hands roamed down her body. She returned the kiss and her body tensed in anticipation whenever his hands neared a sensitive area. She sat up and he unbuttoned her robe. Carefully. . .Slowly. . .He slipped her robe off her shoulders, kissing down her neck and across her shoulders. Goose bumps rose over her skin and she shivered. Something in the back of her mind niggled at her. She pushed it aside. Dropping her robe to her waist, he took a moment to assess her pale body. Her pink nipples stood erect. He kissed each one. She ran her hands through his long platinum hair and across his strong shoulders. The thing in the back of her mind began pushing it's self forward, she frowned, her hands stopping their ministrations_.

Ginny jumped off of the cot and spun around looking for Lucius. Again, she'd awoken alone. She began to shake uncontrollably. She ran to the sink and heaved. The only thing that came up was the potion Draco had given her.


	6. Essence of the Matter

Ginny was distraught. The dream had been too real. She could almost feel his lips upon her skin, her hands in his silky hair. She shook all over.

"Was it a dream?" Ginny asked herself out loud. If it was, why was she dreaming like that?

The thought of that monster touching her made her gag again.

But in her dream she had been willing. WHY?

Ginny sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around herself trying to stop her shaking. She closed her eyes but saw his grey eyes boring into her. _Carefully . . . Slowly . . . He slipped her robe off her shoulders, kissing down her neck and across her shoulders. Goose pimples rose over her skin and she shivered. _She opened her eyes and got up. "Oh God," Ginny cried "what's happening?" She paced across the small cell. Tears flowed but she didn't wipe them away. She stopped her pacing and leaned against the wall, looking at the ceiling. She breathed deeply, trying to calm the storm in her mind. She ran her hands through her hair but quickly pulled them away from her head as the sensation reminded her of his hair through her fingers. "No!" Ginny asserted, "It was a dream. It wasn't real." Even as she said it didn't ring true. Her fingers remembered the warm softness of his hair, the smoothness of his skin and the ropes of muscle beneath. Her skin prickled at the memory of his soft lips and strong hands. Her eyes closed and she let out a moan.

Her eyes flew opened and she stomped her foot to rid her mind of the treacherous 'memories.'

Ginny went to the sink and washed her face in cool water. The water felt good and she decided to wash her body. Though the potion had healed the injuries, dried blood still clung in bits upon her body and stuck in her hair. She bathed as best she could, but lacking a towel, the effort left her robe clinging to her body and her hair dripping down her back. She did, however, feel better.

Ginny drank some water. She hadn't been given anything to eat and her stomach was still irate. She did her best to ignore it and sat on the cot and tried to formulate a plan to escape. Her mind kept drifting back to how good it had felt and she was ashamed for enjoying the sensations.

The lock clicked and she jumped. Was he coming back? Was he going to beat her or worse, make her body betray her again? 'No,' she told herself. It had been a dream. She looked for a weapon but nothing presented itself to defend her. She mustered her courage and launched herself at the door as it swung open.

Draco looked up surprised as she came at him. He had enough time to straight arm her as she collided with him. She was much too small to do more than shove him back a step and almost drop the plate he held.

"Whoa, there Ginny," he said pushing her gently back into the room.

Ginny stopped when she saw it was Draco and he had brought food. Her stomach leapt and growled. She cursed it for its betrayal also.

Draco smiled and handed her the plate.

Ginny took the plate a little too urgently and had devoured half of the meat pasty before she remembered her manners. She swallowed and looked at him. He watched her, an amused look on his face. "Thank you," she said before taking another bite.

He shook his head and gave a little chuckle.

Ginny stopped chewing and looked questioningly at him.

"Why are you thanking me? I'm partially responsible for you being here and I can only bring you food when father allows it. All I'm able to do about his treatment of you is to bring you healing potions. I don't know why you'd thank me."

"You bring it, no matter what your intentions or motivations, that is why I thank you." She gave him a smile.

Draco grinned and turned to leave. "Please stay and talk," Ginny asked almost panicking at the thought of being alone. She wanted someone to talk to, even if that someone was Draco Malfoy. She had never been good at being alone, she'd never had to do it, with such a large family growing up the only time she'd ever had to spend any time alone was Ron's first year at Hogwarts. That year, with only herself and her parents in the Burrow had been the loneliest, most unbearable time of her life. Even now, with her having her own flat, she spent more time at the Burrow than she did at her own place.

He turned back to her and smiled at her oddly. "You surprise me, Ginny Weasley. I would expect that I would be the last one you would wish to visit with,"

"Well not quite, I'd rather not visit with your father," she said. She had wanted it to sound like a joke but there was too much truth to the statement.

Draco grinned, "I guess we have a little bit in common, then don't we, Weasley."

He sat on the cot and watched her finish the pasty.

"I suppose I should have saved some of that for lunch," she stated then thought for a moment, "Or is it lunch time now? I can't tell what time it is, I'm not even sure how long I've been here." She sat at the end of the cot and looked expectantly at Draco.

"Father can't have a problem with me giving you that information, I guess," Draco stated. "It's around eight, Thursday morning. I don't know if I'll be able to bring you lunch but my parents will be out this evening at a dinner party so I'll bring you something whether he wants me to or not."

Ginny nodded then, "Are they looking for me yet?"

Draco considered the effects of the answer before he gave it. "I haven't heard anything, in fact I passed by your father at the Ministry yesterday afternoon and he looked rather normal. They may not have realized you're missing yet."

Ginny looked thoughtfully at her hands. They probably wouldn't have missed her the night she was abducted as she had stayed late at work so she could miss work the next day. She'd had a potion she was going to set to boil which had to be tended to for most of the next day. No one would have even expected her out of her house until yesterday evening. Even then she may not have been missed at dinner if the family thought the potion making hadn't gone right. She frowned. They might not, even now, realize yet. If only her mother's clock was still working . . . She sighed. Even if they knew she was gone, they wouldn't have a clue where to look for her. How was she going to get herself out of this? If only Harry, Hermione or even Ron was there. They would have a plan or at least have a better clue of what was going on.

Draco watched her face and read the despair therein. He scooted beside her and put his hand on hers. She looked up surprised. "I wish this hadn't happened." He looked grave.

"Let me go then! Please!"she implored him, tears coming to her eyes. His hand was warm upon her skin. The warmth spread up her arm and flowed into her chest making her feel better than she had a moment ago.

She looked into his eyes. They were so much like his fathers. The eyes. The hands on her skin. She shuddered and looked away as she pulled her hand away.

"You know I can't," Draco's voice was faint and full of intensity.

"Does it have to be me? Or am I just a convenient sacrifice?" Ginny forced herself to look at him again. She locked his eyes in hers. She saw him try to look away but he didn't. He seemed to be debating something, deciding what he could tell her. Finally, Ginny saw decision in his eyes.

Draco closed his eyes and sighed, "Yes, it had to be you, no one else. I can't explain why." His eyes looked defeated. "I never wanted all this to happen." He shook his head. "This wasn't supposed to get ugly like this. We were supposed to abduct you, perform the spell, do an obliviate charm on you and let you go. You could have gone on with your life, none the wiser."

Ginny looked deeper in his eyes and saw that he was truly pained at what was happening. This wasn't the Draco she knew. This wasn't the snide little prat who forever irritated her, teasing her about her family's economic status. Perhaps it was a trick, she thought.

Draco suddenly got up. "My father never listens to me. He never listens to anyone." He continued angrily, "If he'd listened to me or to . . . " He stopped before he named Flitwick. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming his self so he didn't mess up and say something he shouldn't. Finally he continued, "If he'd listened this wouldn't be happening."

Ginny was shocked at Draco's passion against his father and shaken by his revaluations about the plan gone wrong.

Draco came to her quickly and grabbed her shoulders. She winced away from him even though his touch was kind. "I promise. I will do what I can to keep you safe." He looked into her eyes for a moment then quickly left the room, leaving her befuddled.


	7. Such fire

A/N: I know it's been a long, long time since I did anything with this. I have at least three more chapters in my head and sometime on my hands.

Ginny paced the floor thinking about Draco's words. His anger toward his father surprised her most. He had always seemed to worship or at least fear the controlling man. She tried to find hope in his words that he would try to protect her, but feared he would not be able to do anything to shield her from the cruelty. For a moment she considered if it was worth it to resist. She sat on the cot and hung her head.

Draco watched her through the enchanted panel in the wall.

"Is she ready?" Lucius asked as he came beside his son.

"Soon," Draco answered without taking his eyes from the redhead. "She's started to show signs of breaking. She asked me to stay and talk and begged me to let her go." He looked at his father now and grinned.

Lucius looked at his son and chuckled.

Ginny put her head in her hands and began to sob.

"Go make a potion, son. Leave out the valerian and blue root. I don't have time for an 'episode' this afternoon and she'll be ready for you," Lucius uttered as he stared intently at the girl.

Draco turned on his heel and headed for the stairs.

His father stopped him, "Unless you'd like to take the polyjuice potion and conduct the episode yourself."

"No I think I'd rather wait for my taste."

Lucius nodded and gripping his cane entered the cell.

Ginny looked up, expecting that Draco had come back. She wasn't prepared for the older Malfoy to come through the door. She recovered quickly and rushed at him as she had the younger earlier.

"Petrificus totalus," Lucius drawled lazily lifting his cane in front of himself. Ginny stiffened in mid leap and crashed to the ground at his feet. "Tut, tut little Weasley," He stepped around her prone body looking down his nose at her. "I would expect more of you than resorting to violence," He nudged her with his toe then turned her onto her back with his foot. She stared up at him, hate burning in her eyes. Lucius grinned maliciously. "You are powerless, Weasley." He poked her with his cane, "Give me what I want, say the incantation, I'll let you go." To his surprise Ginny shook her head 'no' as she began to shake the spell. She was finding the power hidden inside herself.

He conjured ropes and bound her. As he tied the last knot, she had regained her movement and was struggling against the bonds.

"I'll never help you, Malfoy. You have no intention of releasing me. You might as well kill me now," she said in a braver voice than she felt.

Lucius moved her none too gently to the cot and knelt beside her. He looked her in the eye. He caressed her cheek, "There are things worse than death, little girl." Ginny closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Lucius chuckled as he ran his fingers down her neck and rested on the hollow of her neck. Goose pimples rose on her skin and she shuddered. He pulled his hand away and slapped her. She gasped and looked at him defiantly. Again he ran his fingertips down her neck but didn't stop when he reached the fabric of her robe. She gasped as he caressed her breast. After a moment he pulled his hand away and to her surprise, her body arched toward his receding hand. He chuckled and slapped her again. "Do you want to say the incantation or shall I continue?"

She clenched her teeth and turned her head away only to jump as he whispered in her ear, "I didn't hear your answer. Should I just let your body answer?" He trailed his lips from her ear down her neck and she shuttered again. "I think you like this Weasley. Perhaps I'm being too kind." Another slap.

She looked defiantly at him and spit.

"Such fire to match your hair." He ran his fingers through her hair gently then again trailed his fingertips lightly down her neck. As he began to unbutton her robe he began to smell hot peppers and his eyes threatened to begin watering. Again he slapped her and the sensations stopped. He continued with the buttons until he had exposed her breasts. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks but she still looked defiantly up at him. "Some things are worse than death, but some are much better. Which do you prefer?"

Lucius paused and waited for an answer that he knew wasn't forthcoming. He began again. Fingertips down the neck but this time they circled the breast. Lips next, but as they reached the nipple, his lips went numb. He reared back and slapped her again. His fingers encountered a shock the next time he touched her. He pulled his hands back and looked at her.

This isn't working, he thought. He stood and threw her to the floor. A well-placed kick broke her ribs again and the cane did its own damage.

Narsissa sat in the kitchen and watched her son yet again make a potion. "You forgot the valerian, and last time you put in blue root,"

Draco turned and looked at his mother in surprise. She sounded lucid.

"Don't look so shocked, I've been making healing potions for your father since before you were born. Who's the unlucky victim?"

"Victim?" Draco repeated, not sure how to answer.

"Don't play stupid, Draco. I know he's torturing someone in the dungeon. Who is it and what does he want from them? Or is he just doing it for fun?"

Draco was unable to answer truthfully or lie and too shocked at her lucidity to do anything but stare.

"Oh come now," she said as she came over to examine the caldron. "I know . . . it's that Weasley girl isn't it? Is it about the house elves or something else?" She thought for a second, "No, it's something else. I know you two met with what is left of the inner circle the other night and Alvin Flitwick was here . . . Has he extracted her powers?"

Draco looked at his mother like he had just been caught stealing sweets then he told her all.


	8. Test of Power

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. It helps to know more people then just me think I'm going in the right direction.

Ginny lay on the floor, her breath coming in painful gasps. She wished Draco would come. It was longer than usual. Lucius had left quite a while ago but Draco hadn't come. The pain _had _subsided some but her broken ribs and empty stomach were enough to cause her to be dizzy. As she thought about it, the stomach was worse than the rest now. How odd, the ribs were even feeling better.

She thought about the attack. Again the beating had been severe but the brutality before the beating was what stuck in her mind. It had not been a dream this time. His hands and lips had been on her skin this time. Goose pimples rose on her bare torso and she shuddered.

She was angry at herself. Her body had betrayed her yet again. She'd had to stop her body from responding to his touch even as her mind was recoiling at the thought of his touch. The more she had resisted the more flushed her body had felt.

Yet Lucius had seemed frustrated just before he'd begun the beating. Every time he touched her skin he drew back quickly as if in pain. In the dreams his ministrations had been constant and smooth. _He__ kissed her, his hands roamed down her body. She returned the kiss and her body tensed in anticipation whenever his hands neared a sensitive area. She ran her hands through his long platinum hair and across his strong shoulders. _She was angry at herself for thinking about the dream. But even more ashamed for enjoying it.

Were was Draco? Her body didn't hurt much now, her ribs ached but breathing didn't hurt any longer. Her hands were asleep from being bound so long and she couldn't lay comfortably in any position. She wiggled her body until she could sit up.

The bruises on her torso seemed to be fading. She wondered if all of the healing potions she'd taken in the last couple of days were still working on her. She'd never heard of anything of the like but there was no doubt she was healing.

When Lucius entered the sitting room, Draco and Narsissa were having tea. He sat heavily in his chair and looked at them. Narsissa looked back at him, an odd look in her eye. "Tea, dear?" she asked her voice dreamily. She called for Dobby but Draco poured it.

"Which robe will you be wearing tonight?" Lucius asked his wife after a sip of his tea.

"Tonight?"

"Yes, dear don't you remember? We're going to a dinner party."

"Oh, yes at the Avery's, I remember,"

"No, Narsissa, the Avery's are dead. We're going to the Plums."

"Dead?" said Narsissa as if he had said they were on vacation, "Well it was nice of the Plums to host the wake. I suppose I should wear my good black robe."

Lucius raised his eyebrows and looked at his son, Draco looked away.

"It's just a dinner party, not a wake," Draco told his mother.

"Oh, I see, but we still must remember to send a card on to the Avery's family. In that case I will wear my emerald robe,"

Narsissa continued to chatter at him and Draco until Draco was done with his tea.

"If you are done Draco, I need your assistance," Lucius told his son.

Draco rose and followed his father into his study. After the door was shut and they both were sitting, Lucius pulled the Dark Lords' wand from a box on the shelf.

" She is getting too powerful, we must take it soon." Lucius uttered.

Draco nodded as he watched his father caress the wand lovingly.

"I want to test this before we use it on her. The ministry may have done something to it. "

Again Draco nodded, "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm going to use it on you."

Draco sat up, his hand reaching for his pocket. "If the Ministry did something to it, then it could harm me."

"It may but I can't have it damaging the Dark Lords power."

Draco jumped up and pulled his wand out but his father stunned him before he could open his mouth. He fell back into the chair and his wand clattered to the floor. Lucius stood over his son.

"Expecto Animicaptus Abduco." He tapped Draco's chest with his wand. He pulled the wand away and the mist, Draco's power was pulled from his chest. Draco regained his senses but could not move nor catch his breath. The mist had formed into a miniature version of Draco. "Aloh Animicaptus Draco." The wand touched the mist and it stuck. "Animicaptus Acio." Lucius pulled the mist, his sons power and pulled it into his chest.

Lucius looked down at his son. Draco had slumped once again into the chair. Lucius felt the power surging through him. He had never felt so invincible. Perhaps this is how the Dark Lord had felt. Power without end, nothing could touch him, nothing could stop him . . . But it wasn't the Dark Lords power that he possessed, the girl, she had it. If she found the truth, if she found she possessed untold power, she could be more powerful than he. He had to take the Dark Lords power. Lucius looked at his son who was just now stirring again. He couldn't take it without the boys help but didn't want to give the power back.

Draco opened his eyes and his head spin. His breath was hollow in his chest and he felt as if he would be sick. He had never felt so weak, it was all he could do to look up at his father. "Father . . . " his voice sounded like gravel.

Lucius turned from him and walked to the window.

"What have you done?" Draco managed to croak out. He stood but felt weak. He picked up his wand, it felt like nothing more than a piece of wood in his hand. He twitched it to produce sparks but nothing happened. No sparks nor the warm, tingling sensation that accompanied the activation of a wand.

"You have no more power than a muggle now," his father drawled still with his back to him. "The wand is undamaged,"

Draco knew he meant the Master's wand and not his own, but how could he be a muggle? How could he have no power at all, it had to be a trick? His father must have switched his wand with just a stick while he was knocked out. "No, it can't be . . . "

"It is no trick, Draco. I have your animicaptus, your breath of power."

"I wasn't willing," Draco said in disbelief.

"A blood relative can easily take an other's power," Lucius told his son, "Flitwick told us that, don't you remember?" He turned and looked at his son.

"Give it back," Draco demanded, he advanced on his father but knew he was no threat. So did Lucius. "Father, you must give it back. You need me."

Lucius sighed, he knew the boy was right. He smiled, "Of course, have you regained enough strength?"

Draco found it difficult to walk across the floor but he told his father he was ready.

Lucius pulled the Animicaptus from his own chest, separated Draco's from his own and replaced it in his chest.

Draco felt strong and powerful again. He had to suppress the urge to hit his father with something unforgivable.


	9. Threads

Disclamer:No I don't own them.wish wish wish

Ginny tried her best to cover herself when she heard the lock open but it wasn't easy with her hands bound behind her back.

Draco stepped through the door and paused when he saw her. Other than being bound and her robe open, she looked none the worst for ware. But then not all wounds are on the outside he thought to himself. Without a word he sat the potion down, took her in his arms and placed her on the cot. There he untied her hands, sat, and turned around as she fastened her robe.

When she laid a hand on his shoulder, he turned to face her. She looked concerned and asked if he was okay.

"Yes, but I think I should be the one asking that."

"I did hurt. . . I think all the healing potions are still in my system though. Look." She indicated a large bloody patch on the shoulder of her robe, then pulled it back to show him her shoulder. A large amount of dried blood covered her shoulder and arm but the only mark on her skin was a shiny silver scar about three inches long. "The sharp edge of the cane sliced me there. It was quite deep. I watched it heal."

"Healing potions don't do that, they don't build up in you." He was sure of it, if he knew anything it was potions. She looked sceptical. He thought again, maybe it would be better to let her think that instead of the truth. "Or maybe they can..." he said lamely.

"No matter," she said untying her feet, "You look like you could use a potion yourself. You're paler than usual. Are you getting sick?"

He felt sick and weak still. He looked away from her. "I'm not feeling the best right now. Perhaps I have a cold coming on," he lied. He wasn't going to tell her that his father had just risked his life to test a wand or that he had the distinct feeling that if his father thought he could get the power without him, he would now be a squib, a muggle. right now. He also was almost certain that once he had what he wanted, he'd take it again.

Ginny looked at the deep frown on Draco's face. She stood and faced him. "No, there's something else," she said looking down at him.

"What makes you say that?"

Ginny ran her fingers across the worry lines on his forehead. "You're worried. Has your father done something?"

Draco couldn't help but laugh coldly at the irony. "What hasn't my father done? Look at you. I find you bound and half naked and you're worried about me."

She turned quickly pulling her cool fingers from his skin. He wished for their return. He was sorry for his words.

Ginny walked across the cell and leaned on the sink. She tried to keep the thought of fingers upon her skin from her mind. Draco came behind her and hesitantly rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he told her, "I didn't mean to. . ."his voice trailed off.

She turned and looked him in the eyes. His eyes, not his fathers, she thought. His hand, not his fathers. "I know you didn't," she reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingers, "He didn't. . . You know, I'm okay." His eyes looked sad and tired. Something had happened. Something to trouble him deeply. "But you, you're not okay. Something has happened. He has done something to you." It wasn't a question but she expected an answer. He tried to look away but her fingers gently held him where he was.

He found as he looked into her bright brown eyes that he couldn't lie to her any more than he could his mother. He sighed, closed his eyes and nodded.

"What has he done?"

Draco shook his head slowly from side to side, his eyes still closed. He felt ashamed, something he hadn't felt often, ashamed for his involvement in this whole mess. When it was ended, she would probably be dead, if not dead, in no better shape than he had been in earlier. He suspected that the powers were too entwined to be easily separated. His father would most probably take her power along with the Dark Lords. She would be better off dead than powerless. And his father would be the most powerful wizard ever, even more powerful than the Dark Lord had been in his height of power.

"The spell? The one he was trying to do on me, did he do it on you?"

Draco opened his eyes. Hers seemed to boar right through him. He sighed.

"And it worked? It worked on you?"

He turned away from her. "I cannot talk to you about this." Before she could say another word, he'd gone out the door.

He spent the next hour watching her through the wall as she paced. He didn't want to go back upstairs. He didn't want to face his father. As he thought about his father, an ember started burning in his chest. He had followed his father his whole life, doing his bidding, looking for praise that never came. He had paid his fathers penance to the Dark Lord. Still he bowed to his fathers will. And now. . .now as Draco did his part for the cause, the cause that his father cared so much about, his father showed his true feelings for his only child. The power was more important. . .

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone on the stairs. He steeled his face and buried the ember once more. He was startled when he saw his mother descending the stairs. He went to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see our guest," she beamed, "and to see you. You looked pale before you came down here earlier." She came and looked into the cell. Ginny had stopped pacing was sitting on the cot picking at a frayed spot on the edge of her robe.

"She looks just like Molly did at her age," Narsissa quipped. Draco looked at his mother but said nothing. "It's hard to imagine that a little thing like that has such power inside," Still Draco said nothing. Ginny got up and went to the sink to wash her face. "Take her to my bathroom after your father and I leave and let her wash up, you can give her one of my old robes. She's use to that, I'm sure. Molly was such a nice dresser before she took up with that Weasley. I warned her. I'm sure the girl's never owned anything new."

Draco had always known that his mother and Molly Weasley were distant cousins, though he would have never admitted it, but he'd never heard his mother talking as if she knew Ginny's mother. Before he could ask her about it, Narsissa looked up at the ceiling. "He'll be looking for me. He mustn't find me here." She hitched up her robes and hurried up the stairs calling back to Draco, "Be good to her."

Draco stood on the stairs and waited until he heard his parents apparate from the sitting room. He then hurried to his room and retrieved a box from under his bed. He had things to remedy. He would start with this one.

Authors Note:

As the sixth book has come out, I found I had to go in and rework some points in my story. After reading the book I almost desided to give the story up, but after re-reading parts of the book and my story, I was able to salvage it without too many revisions and it didn't take near as long as I thought it would.

I'm amused that I hit on some of the new details ie. the tortured soul of Draco, (I knew he couldn't kill Dumbledoor) and the horcruxes. In fact, when I read about horcruxes I had to laugh. I know the Amnicapus isn't the exact thing, but close enough.

I'll get the next chapter as soon as I can. I can tell you it envolves a bath (like you didn't already know that) a new robe, dinner, some intresting details about what Draco did the summer between the fifth and sixth books, and maybe the bit of snogging and such, that everyone has been waiting for. (I know I have, it took longer than I expected to get them there)


	10. Emeralds and Rubys

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I enjoy hearing from readers. I'm sure I do have errors that spellcheck and I don't catch but I'm trying to fix them as I find them.

The cell door opened and Ginny looked up at Draco. He had an odd look on his face. "Follow me," he bid. He turned and walked out of the cell.

Ginny looked up in shock then followed quickly. Draco was already on the stairs and she trotted to catch up, afraid that he would change his mind and put her back in the cell.

An anti-apperate charm was in place on the dungeon. Perhaps it was only on the dungeon. As Ginny gained the top of the stairs, she attempted to apperate. She had intended to apperate outside of the Burrow but found herself in a lavishly appointed sitting room.

In a moment Draco was beside her. He didn't look angry, as she expected, at her attempted escape.

"Sit, sit," he said as if he had expected her to shorten their walk by apperating.

Ginny tried again but managed to move only across the room.

"Or sit there by the fire if you wish."

Shocked she sat in the large leather armchair behind her.

"I have a gift for you." Draco picked up a large flat box from a table and layed it in her lap.

Ginny watched him while he sat beside her. What was he up to? What kind of gift did a captor give his captive? Something dark and dangerous no doubt, something to make her give in to his demands. She looked warily at the box.

"Go ahead. It won't bite."

Carefully she lifted the lid. Fine green linen met her eyes. It was a fine robe, nicer than anything Ginny had ever owned, except her best dress robes. The small green snake that was embroidered on the lapel was of spun emerald and a ruby shone as its eye.

"Do you like it?" Draco's voice was hopeful.

"Well, yes, but you don't intend to really give this to me, do you? Won't your mother miss it?"

"No, she won't miss it." Draco stood and pulled the robe from the box. Grasping her hand, he drew her to her feet. "It's not hers," he told her truthfully, "I bought it for you," he lied. His mind went to dear Emily for a moment before he pushed the thought aside. He held it up to her and judged the effect. Lovely.

Ginny's eyes sparkled with glee. Narsissa had been nearly right. She'd rarely had anything that wasn't second hand.

Again he took her hand, "Come, I've drawn a bath for you, and when you're done we'll have dinner."

Her stomach growled and he grinned at her. "Perhaps, dinner first?"

"No, no, bath first," she said following, "I'm sure I smell rather ripe."

"Very well," Draco led the way through several rooms. Ginny couldn't help but ogle at the beautiful expensive things that filled the rooms.

"Here we are," Draco opened the door to an elegant bathroom dominated by a very large marble tub.

"I'll be in the sitting room when you are finished. If you get lost, just apperate. The sitting room has a charm on it to draw any apperating or disapperating in this house to it," he told her as if she hadn't already found that out.

After he left, she locked the door and pulled her filthy, bloodstained robe over her head, she slipped thankfully into the steamy, sweet-scented water. She sighed and leaned back, relaxing against the soft side of the tub. She hadn't realized how sore her body was until she began to relax.

Finally Ginny sat up and looked for the soap. Her eyes found it across the room and she hated the thought of dripping across the floor to get it. If only she had her wand. She sat back and closed her eyes again, delaying the inevitable, wet, cold journey across the room. "Accio soap," she said lazily but then sat up with a shock as something plopped into the water beside her. She picked up a bar of soap from the water and looked at it in amazement.

Draco slouched in his father's chair in front of the fire, watching the flames lick the blackened logs. He allowed his mind to drift to a house in Switzerland.

His mother had met him at the station the summer that his father was sent to Azkaban. She then took him off to stay with a friend in Switzerland. She wanted to hide him, to protect him from the war and from Voldemorts wrath.

It was there that he met her, his dear Emily. She lived in the wizard village and he was smitten from the first moment he saw her. She had beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes and a laugh that could charm a dementor. They become fast friends and she confided in him that she never wanted to leave his side. He'd bought her the robes along with a ruby engagement ring. They were young but he thought that they had all the time in the world. He never got a chance to give her the ring or the robes. Aunt Bellatrix had shown up to bring him home. He hadn't wanted to go at first but Bellatrix had shared with Emily and her family just who Draco's family really was. The look on Emilys face was enough. He hadn't needed to be physically thrown out by her father.

Ginny was so unlike Emily in so many ways, he thought, but alike in many others. They looked nothing alike and Ginny was much more confident. . .

_Ginny stood before Draco in emerald silk, her beautiful red hair cascading over her shoulder_. _The smile on her lips was paled by the one in her eyes as she took his hand and led him into the centre of the ballroom._ _The music played softly as he took her into his arms. The warm, sweet scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, the feel of her in his arms all combined to befuddle_ _his mind. _

"Malfoy!" came her voice through the dream. He shook himself awake and looked up at her. Green linen, not silk but just as lovely, but then the eyes. No smile danced in those eyes, only fire.

He sat up trying to shake the dream.

"What's happening to me?" she demanded.

"Why? What's happened?"

"Watch this," she demanded as she turned to the fire and pointed her finger at it, "Noxx!" the flames sputtered and died. She turned with her hands on her hips looking at him accusingly.


	11. Freedom Wine

Draco looked into the darkened hearth for a moment, trying to hide his shock. Finally, he stood, without looking her in the face. "Let us go to dinner," He took her by the arm. She remained rooted to the spot. "I'll explain as best I can, but let's eat first," Draco said sadly.

Ginny relented and allowed herself to be led into the dining room. The table was set with china and crystal. Draco pulled the chair out for Ginny and she sat, still looking upset.

Draco opened the door to the kitchen and waved his wand. Platters of steaming food floated into the room and set themselves on the table. He sat across from her and could hear her stomach howling. He looked at her. Still, her eyes were filled with questions.

Quickly Draco dished the food onto the plates and he sighed inwardly when her attention was drawn to the food rather than him. He had to have a few moments to think, to make a decision.

If Draco told her the wrong thing. . . He thought of the look in Emily's eyes so long ago. They had gone from loving devotion, to horror, to anger and finally to dull hatred. He didn't think he could take it again. He shook himself. What did he care? He thought to himself, it wasn't as if he cared about hurting her, did he? He didn't have to answer. To his horror, he knew the answer. He tried to tell himself that he only cared because whatever he told Ginny could complicate the plan. He knew that wasn't the truth either.

By the time he waved his wand for the pudding, he had made a decision.

He cleared his throat and she looked up expectantly. He couldn't meet her gaze. "The other day, when you asked what we wanted of you . . ." he faltered and glanced up at her. She placed her spoon back in her dish and looked intently at him her head tilted slightly to the side. "You were partially right, the Dark Lord is dead, he cannot be resurrected." He took a sip of his wine. "But, that isn't the end of him."

"Do you mean the horcruxes?"

Draco nodded into his wine.

"They were all destroyed."

"Yes, they were destroyed. Every item that he encased his soul into was destroyed. But from one of the items, he was channelled into another vessel before it was destroyed." He looked meaningfully at her.

She dropped her hands limply to her sides and looked overwhelmed and frightened. "The diary," she gasped.

"Yes, the diary."

"But that means . . ."

"He is still there, or part of him." As he'd expected, she paled and stared into space, her eyes as big as dinner plates. Draco rose and poured more wine into her glass. She turned and looked up at him.

" Is that why I can . . . Is he trying to possess me again?" she asked, her eyes suddenly wild with fear.

Draco looked grave. He put the wine glass in her shaking hand and Ginny drew it to her lips but didn't drink. She sat it back on the table almost spilling it. "No, he can't . . .I won't . . . What can I do?"Her voice was barely audible. She looked up at him pleadingly, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Draco knelt beside her and looked her in the eye. "I'll help you, but you must trust me. Do you trust me?"

Ginny considered him for a moment then nodded and smiled through her tears. He gently brushed the tears from her cheek with his thumb. As he looked into her sad, brown eyes he felt like they were melted chocolate and he was being drawn into them. He felt an urgent need in his soul to stop those tears. Quite suddenly Draco found his lips against hers. She returned the kiss with such passion he was taken aback.

Lips merged and hands groped across backs. As Ginny slid from the chair, Draco drew her onto his lap, never breaking the kiss. Her heart raced, her breathing became laboured and her head spun. Her hands ran urgently through his blond hair and her body shook in anticipation. His lips, not his fathers, his silky hair, his hands, his body. The stress and horror of the last few days seemed to melt away and there was nothing but this moment, this man.

Draco broke the kiss first and looked deeply into her eyes. A fire burned there, but it wasn't anger this time. He hadn't expected this. This isn't how he had planned it to happen. His entire plan seemed to be falling apart, but to his shock, he didn't care. Her tears seemed to have found a part of him that he'd kept hidden for years. He felt free. His only need was to kiss those sweet lips and to hold that body against his.

Again their lips met. His lips answered hers. Her body responded to his hands. The moan that escaped his lips was met by her reply.

Ginny pulled away next. Without a word they conversed and decided. Slowly, without breaking too much body contact, they rose and proceed to Draco's chambers.

Lucius and Narsissa wove their way through the maze of people in the ballroom. Several of them turned and watched them pass. Even those who had never met Lucius knew who he was. His white blond hair and aristocratic air set him apart from the rest of the rabble in the room. Most of the people in the room had never been followers of the Dark Lord, but they were all pure bloods. Mud-blood and muggle baiting was no longer tolerated in this _new tolerant_ _society_ but it did not stop private gatherings such as this from only inviting pure wizards.

Lucius accepted a glass from a house elf and grudged-ly thanked it. 'House elves are people too,' the sickening public service announcement had declared after that mudblood and her friends had managed to lobby to have the enchantment lifted that had ensured the elves servitude for hundreds of years.

Narsissa went to greet their hostess who was chatting with a gaggle of women in the middle of the room and Lucius continued on across the room to their host.

Lucius didn't much care for Plum. Plum had been a prefect in Hufflepuff and in the same year as Lucius. He was also the junior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and in Lucius' back pocket. Money still bought favour. Unfortunately, Plum was as close to the Minister as Lucius could get, or for that matter, really wanted to.

"Ah, Lucius, you made it. I'm so glad." Plum greeted him heartily. "I see you found the free-elf-made champagne that the minister sent. Good isn't it?'

Lucius made a noncommital noise and sipped the purple liquid. Faced with thousands of unemployed house elves who refused to serve their old masters, even for pay, the government set up the Elf works project. Thousands of elves were working in several different industries for the ministry. There were even several hundred who worked for the muggle government.

"I was just telling Alvin here," indicating the short man beside him. Lucius and Alvin Flitwick nodded a greeting. " that there has been quite a bit of activity at the ministry the last few days. The minister seems to think there may be some dark activity going on. There have disappearances and a very curious theft from the Department of Mysteries. This is all hush, hush, you understand."

"Oh, yes, of course," Flitwick said.

"How very disturbing," Lucius stated. He looked down at Flitwick. "If you'll excuse me,"

He didn't wait for Plums response. He headed toward the veranda. Flitwick followed soon after.

Few people were on the veranda, the early spring air keeping most inside. Flitwick came to stand beside Lucius by the rail overlooking the garden.

"The Dark Lord is growing impatient."

Lucius glanced down. The pretender had taken the title now. He, Lucius, should have been the leader when Voldemort had perished, but the others did not follow him, choosing another to lead. Lucius had vowed to follow the new lord . . .He broke off this line of thinking to answer. "She will be ready soon. Draco is working on her as we speak. When we are done, she will be pleading with us to take it."

"The Dark Lord questions your judgement in using Draco. He has shown himself to be unreliable in the past."

"He came closer than most and if you remember, he did succeed in breaking through the schools defences. Something better wizards had never succeeded in. Still, he will not fail this time."

"It will be his last failure, if he does."

"Yes. I'll see to it with my own hand."

A/N: You all can thank Vixenfairy27 and ErenaC.T.Rose for my updating now instead of this weekend as I'd planned. It was their impassioned requests for update that motivated me to finish this chapter. And I'll admit being told you're enjoying my story is a great motivator. Any comments you all may have on how to make the story better would be appriciated.


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